Cylinder balance tester for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines



Sept 25,1962 A s M I EADOR EIAL 3 05 21 CYLINDER BALANCE TESTER FOR MULTI-CYLINDER I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 4, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet i IN V EN TORJ- BY can? M. 6 696! a PW ATTOP/VI/J Sept. 25, 1962 A. s. MEADOR ETAL 3,05

- CYLINDER BALANCE TESTER FOR MULTI-CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 4, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS GMZ nG ATTOR/VAFYJ Sept. 25, 1962 A. s. MEADOR ETAL 3,055,211

CYLINDER BALANCE TESTER FOR MULTI-CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed D90. 4, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TORS M 55/??- s. M5 90 pm y CUR? M. 61/20/ 4 Ema haw ATTORNEYS 3,1155 211 CYLINDER BALANCE The FQR MUL'lii-CYL ENDER INTERNAL Qtihifiilaiiiflbl ENGHNES Albert S. Meador, Oklahoma (Iity, Okla, and Curt M.

Shrurn, Dallas, Tern, assignors to Kent-Moore ()rganization, Inca, Warren, Mich, a. corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 778,255 2 @iaims. (Cl. 73116) This invention relates to a cylinder balance tester for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine such as is used in automobiles and particularly to such an engine wherein the cylinders are arranged in companion pairs in opposed banks, viz: a right-hand bank and a left-hand bank.

It has been found that in servicing automobile engines it is frequently difficult to ascertain which of the cylinders is functioning efficiently and producing the intended amount of power it is desired to develop. Such things as improperly functioning valves, rings, pistons, ignition, or combustion may produce unsatisfactory performance of one or more cylinders.

It is desirable to be able to locate the offending cylinder as quickly as possible in order to carry out the servic ing at a minimum cost.

This cylinder balance tester is designed to enable the mechanic to quickly determine which cylinder or cylinders are failing to contribute their intended power output.

In the conventional V-type engine, and this is commonly a V-8 engine, the cylinders are mounted in two banks, viz: a right-hand bank and a left-hand bank of four cylinders each. The cylinders are also arranged in companion pairs, one cylinder of each pair being located in each bank. The two cylinders in each companion pair fire substantially simultaneously or successively close together. Different firing orders are pursued in different automobile engines and this cylinder tester is primarily designed to fit a determined firing order because it is quite common for automobile establishments to service only the particular automobile merchandised by this establishment, but the device might be connected up and operated so as to fit different firing orders.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character described above which can be readily connected with the electric leads extending into the cylinders of the engine being tested, and the mechanism may then be operated so as to quickly locate a particular cylinder or cylinders which are performing improperly. Once the mechanism is properly connected with the engine cylinders through the electric leads thereto, it is relatively easy to locate the cylinder which is causing the trouble. Such examination does not require any unusual skill or care upon the part of the mechanic. It does, however, require the use of other devices available in automobile service stations such as a vacuum pressure gauge and a tachometer, which are independently coupled with the engine to indicate the vacuum developed and the r.p.m. reading during the testing.

Considering this cylinder balance tester as being used with an S-cylinder V-8 engine in which the eight cylinders are arranged in a right-hand bank and a left-hand bank of four cylinders each, the mechanism is capable of shorting out any three companion pairs of cylinders so that the engine may be caused to run on the remaining companion pair. It is apparent that by pursuing this course, each companion pair of cylinders may be tested and readings obtained which will indicate which of the companion pairs is performing properly and which is not.

The cylinder balance tester also includes mechanism which is readily operable to short out either of the two banks of cylinders so that the engine is caused to run on only one bank of cylinders. Pursuing this course of rates Patent @h 3355,21 i Patented Sept. 25, 1962 shorting out pairs and then shorting out banks, it is possible to located which cylinder or cylinders are falling short of their intended performance.

An advantage of this mechanism is that when it has been hooked up with an engine, and usch is a simple operation, the several pairs of cylinders may be tested and re-tested against each other without changing the hookup and one bank of cylinders may be checked against the opposed bank and these checks may be repeated, all from the initial hookup with the engine, and one hookup serves for the carrying out of both the tests above set forth.

Various other objects, advantages, and meritorious features will more fully appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation partly in perspective of a device embodying one modification of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan of the cylinder tester shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan of the structure of FIG. 2 showing manually operable switch mechanism disposed to connect the right-hand bank of cylinders with the ground lead;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the construction of FIG. 2 showing the switch mechanism disposed to connect the left-hand bank of cylinders with the ground lead;

FIG. 7 is a pespective partly broken away showing another modification of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan of the lower half or base of the switch box mechanism of FIGS. 7 and 8 showing the upper face of the base.

FIG. 10 shows one face of the rotatable switch element of the modification of FIGS. 7-11.

FIG. 11 shows the opposite face of the rotatable switch element of this modified embodiment.

Referring first to the construction shown in FIGS. 1-6, the switch box itself is indicated by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1 and a distributor head is indicated by the numeral 12. This switch box or casing includes a base portion 14 and an encircling side wall portion 16, which may be secured to the base in any suitable manner as by screws or the like, not shown in the drawing. The upper face of this base is cut away as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and a manually rotatable switch plate 18 has a lower face portion shaped to conform with the configuration of the upper face of the base and is rotatably disposed thereover. This plate is provided with a handle 20 as shown.

This plate or disc 18 has an axial extension 22, which extends through an aperture in the base 14 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is externally threaded and a ring 24 is threaded thereupon. This ring is received within a counterbore 25 formed in the base 14. A screw 28 may be threaded into place between the ring and the axial portion 22 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to secure the ring to such axial portion and hold the switch plate 18 in place. A washer 30 may likewise be provided as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

A plug 32 is threaded up into the axial portion. It carries a ground lead 34 which terminates in contact with electrical contact element 36. This switch plate 18 carries three bridging elements shown in dotted line in FIG. 2 and indicated as 38, 40, and 42. These electrical bridges extend diametrically across the plate and across the top of the electric contact 36 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 so as to establish contact therewith and through the ground 34. These bridging elements, which extend diametrically as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, terminate adjacent to the periphery of the switch plate disc 18 as shown in FIGS. 2-6.

v The base 14 of the switch box carries a plurality of flexible electric contact leads indicated as 50. Eight of such leads are here shown in FIG. 1. Each lead terminates in a flexible extension outside of the switch box, which itself terminates in a pin or other contact element indicated as 52. This pin may be received within the head of the distributor such as 12 alongside an electric lead extending from the distributor to the spark plug of a cylinder of the engine so as to establish electric connection between the spark plug lead from the distributor and the electric contact lead to the switch box;

Each of these leads 50 terminates upon the upper face of the base 14 in a contact point or element 54 as shown in FIG. 3. Inasmuch as there are eight such leads, there are eight contact elements 54 as indicated in FIG. ,2. Inasmuch as there are three bridging elements 38, 40, and 42, it will be seen that when the switch plate 18 is ro tated from the position shown in FIG. 2, which is the Off position, to a position in which the arrow indicated head of the handle 20 registers with the contact point 54 indicated by the numerals l and 6 in FIG. 2, which would be a counterclockwise rotation from the position at which the handle is shown in FIG. 2, the bridging elements themselves would'then bridge three pairs of contacts 54.

When the switch plate has been moved as set forth in the preceding paragraph so as to bridge three pairs of contact leads across the electric contact 36, these three pairs of contact leads will be connected with the ground 34.

The ground lead 34 also terminates in a flexible extension which is provided with a clamping device 35 adapted to be engaged with a suitable part of the engine upon which it is grounded. It is apparent that the rotatable disc 18 to which the handle 20 is fixed may be swung from the Oil position shown in FIG. 2 to an on position to bridge three companion pairs of contact points, includ ing two contact points 54, namely, the one contact point 54 indicated by the numerals 1 and 6 and the contact point 54 directly opposite thereto. The disc may then be swung so that its pointer end registers with contact point 54 indicated by the numerals and 8 and successively rotated to bring any three companion pairs of contact points into connection with the ground.

In order to releasably hold the disc at these positions to which it has been rotated to connect any three pairs of contact points with the ground, or to releasably hold the disc with all four pairs of contact points out of connection with the ground, the lower face of the discis provided with five cavities indicated in dotted line in FIG. 2 as 56 and in solid line in FIGS. 3 and 4. A spring pressed pin 58 lifted by a spring 60 is normally held to engage within any one of the five cavities 56.

Rotation of the disc 18 by the handle 20 as hereinabove set forth can therefore be so carried out as to connect any three companion pairs of contact leads 54 with the ground lead 34. Such disc can also be rotated to the position shown in FIG. 2 at which position no one of the four pairs of contact leads 54 is connected with the ground. This is apparent from FIG. 2.

In addition to the switch mechanism heretofore described, which accomplishes the electrical grounding of any three companion pairs of contact leads leaving the remaining pair ungrounded, or as a part of the complete switch mechanism, there is also provided switch mechanism to ground out either the right or the left bank of cylinder leads. This is accomplished by grounding the four contact leads which are connected with either the right or the left bank leaving the other four contact leads ungrounded. To accomplish this, the switch box is shown as provided with a contact carrying ring 62.

It is understood, of course, that the several parts of the switch box except the bridging and contact elements are normally formed of suitable insulating material such as plastic capable of so serving and the ring 62 would be so formed. This ring 62 has a handle 64 which extends through a cutout 66 formed in the side wall 16 of the box as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1 this handle is shown in the off position.

The contact ring is provided with eight contact bridging elements indicated as 63 extending radially therethrough as shown in dotted line in FIG. 2. One of these bridging elements 68 is shown in solid line in FIG. 3. Each of these bridging elements extends entirely through the contact ring 62 as shown in FIG. 2.

The wall 16 of the box carries a circumferential grounding wire 70 as shown in FIGS. 3-6. This grounding wire 74), which is shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6 as encircling substantially the circumference of the ring but terminating in opposed ends 72 as indicated at FIG. 2, is grounded by having a lead wire 74 extending therefrom and terminating at a pin 76.

This pin 76 is disposed underneath and registers with the bridge element 42 when the disc 18 is shown in the Off position of FIG. 2. and it is understood that the disc element 18 would be in this Off position as shown in FIG. 2 when the contact ring 62 was swung to short out either bank of cylinders. When the contact disc 18 is so positioned as shown in FIG. 2 and the handle 64 of the contact ring is swung to the position shown in FIG. 5, the two pairs of contact leads which are adapted to be coupled with'the four cylinders of the right-hand bank of cylinders of the engine will be swung to the position shown in FIG. 5. This will ground the righthand bank of cylinders leaving the left-hand bank disconnected from the ground. When the handle 64 is swung to the position shown in FIG. 6, the left-hand bank of cylinders will be grounded through the contact ring leaving the right-hand bank disconnected from the ground.

When it is desired to manipulate the contact disc 18, the handle 64 of the contact ring will be disposed in the Oil position as shown in FIG. 1. To releasably hold the contact ring 62 inthe Oti position, a pin 80 is held by a spring 82 (FIG. 4) so that its outer end is adapted to be'received in a recess 84 formed in the inner circumference of the ring 62 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. This releasably holds the contact ring in the off position. When the handle 64 is moved to either the right-hand bank or the left-hand bank position, it is moved to one end of the slot 66 and is therefore held in such position.

FIGS. 711 show an alternative form of construction. This alternative form of construction is similar to the one just described. It comprises a base member of suitable insulating material indicated .as and a rotatable plate member indicated as 102. This plate member 102 comprises upper and lower discs 104 and 106 respectively having a metal bridging plate 108 sandwiched therebetween. These upper and lower discs may be held together by a pin 110 (note FIG. 11)

The base has a pintle or pivot 112 extending thereabove and held in place by a nut 114 (FIG.'8). The projecting upper end of the pintle has a shoulder resting upon the face of the base as shown in FIG. 8. The switch plate 102 may be reversibly positioned upon the pin, i.e., either side may be placed down against the base. This plate has an aperture 116 therethrough to accommodate this placement upon the base. The ground lead 118 is coupled with the metal disc 108 and termimates in the clamp 120 adapted to'be connected with a suitable part for grounding.

The base 100 and the two halves of the switch plate 104 and 106 may be formed of suitable insulating material. Thebase 100 carries a plurality of contact points 122. Eight such contact'points are here shown; Note FIG. 9, which shows the upper face of the base. These contact points or leads terminate below the base in pins 124. These pins 124 are adapted to be received Within the cap of the distributor indicated as 126 to lie alongside of electric leads extending to the cylinders of the engine being tested.

The switch plate 102 has six contact pins 128 mounted in its disc 106 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 11. When the switch plate 102 has its face shown in FIG. 11 disposed upon the upper face of the base 100, these six contact pins will engage six of the contact leads 122 as shown in FIG. 8 where one of the contact pins is shown in engagement with a contact lead 122.

It will be understood that the switch plate 102 may be so disposed upon the base as to bring the contact points 128 into registration with any three selected pairs of contact leads 122 and that the switch mechanism may be suitably marked to accomplish such registration as by color, letter or numeral identification. It will also be understood that when the device is mounted upon a distributor head as shown in FIG. 1, the contact pins 124 will be inserted into contact with the proper cylinder leads so as to permit the shorting out of selected companion pairs.

That face of the switch plate shown in FIG. 10 shows four, not six, contact points 130 exposed thereon. When this face of the switch plate is placed down against the base, these four contact elements 13:0, which are similar to the contact elements 128 in that they extend through the disc 104 and contact the bridging disc 108, will be placed in registration with four contact leads 122, which four leads extend to the four cylinders of one of the two banks. The switch plate may be shifted rotatably so that its four contact elements 128 may engage the contact leads extending to the cylinders of the other bank. In this way the switch plate may be manipulated to ground either bank of cylinders or to ground any three companion pairs of cylinders so as to accomplish the testing as described in connection with the structure shown in the first six figures of the drawing.

'What we claim is:

1. -A cylinder balance tester for an automobile multicylinder internal combustion engine having its cylinders arranged in two banks and in companion pairs, one cylinder of each pair in one bank and the other cylinder of each pair in the other bank an electric lead extending to each cylinder comprising, in combination, a switch box provided with a plurality of pairs of electric contact leads, one contact lead for each cylinder, each contact lead provided with a contact point within the box and a contact pin outside of the box, each contact pin receivable into electrical contact with one of the electrical leads to a cylinder, said switch box also provided with a ground lead extending from within the box to a part outside of the box adapted to be grounded upon the automobile, a plate pivotally supported upon the box and provided with electrical bridging means adapted upon rotation of the plate to each of a plurality of positions to establish electrical connection between the ground lead and all of the contact leads except one pair of contact leads which said pair is left disconnected from the ground lead, a contact carrying ring rotatably supported within the box swingable to each of two positions at each of which positions contacts carried by the ring establish electrical connection between the ground lead and half of said plurality of contact leads within the box, being that half which lead only to one bank of cylinders, leaving the other half of said contact leads disconnected from the ground lead.

2. A cylinder balance tester for an automobile multicylinder internal combustion engine having an electric lead extending to each cylinder comprising, in combination, a switch box provided with electric contact leads divided into four pairs of leads, each contact lead provided with a contact point within the box and a contact pin outside of the box, each contact pin receivable into electrical contact with one of the contact leads to a cylinder, said switch box also provided with a ground lead extending from within the box to a part outside of the box adapted to be grounded upon the automobile, a switch plate pivotally supported upon the box carrying electric bridging means and rotatable about its pivotal support to each of a plurality of positions at which its bridging means establishes electrical connection between the ground lead and three pairs of electric contact leads leaving one of said four pairs of contact leads disconnected from the ground lead, said plate also rotatable to a position at which all of the four pairs of contact leads are disconnected from the ground lead, means releasably retaining said plate at said last-named position, an electric contact ring rotatably supported within the box and swingable to each of two positions at each of which positions it establishes electrical connection between the ground lead and four of said contact leads, being one from each of said four pairs, leaving the other four contact leads disconnected from the ground lead, said electric contact ring having a third position at which all of its contacts are disconnected from the ground lead, and means releasably retaining said ring at said last-named position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,378,937 Castro May 24, 1921 1,496,383 Seppmann June 3, 1924 2,125,277 Haupt Aug. 2, 19 38 FOREIGN PATENTS 77 8,33 2 France Mar. 14, 1935 

